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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

G. E. WATSON &'G. T. CHESTER. APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING DUST PROM AIR.

No. 302,608. Patented July 29, 1884.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. G. E. WATSON &v G. T. CHESTER. APPARATUS POR SEPARATING DUST PROM AIR. No. 302,608.

Patented -11 1 884.

NV PETERS Phum-Lithn n lm. Walhmgtbn, D. Cv

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GEORGE E. WVATSON, OF LOCKPORT, AND GEORGE T. CHESTER, OF BUFFALO, NE'W YORK; SAID WATSON ASSIGNOR TO SAID CHESTER.

APPARATUS FOR SEPARATENG DUST FROM AlR.

EPEGIFICA'TIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 802,608, dated July 29, 188%.

Application filedApril 11, 1584. (No model.)

To all whom zit may concern/.-

Be it known that we, GEORGE E. WA'rsoN, residing at Lockport, in the county of N iagara, and GEORGE T. CHESTER, residing at But} falo, in the county of Erie, and State of New York, both citizens of the United States, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Separating Dust from Air; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Our invention relates to certain improvements in that class of machines employed in freeing from air the dust which is taken by 2 suction from the different machines of flouring-mills, where such separation is effected, substantially by drivi n g the dust-particles out of the air-current by centrifugal force into a closed recciving-chamber, while the air which 2 5 has been freed from dust is permitted to escape in a different direction. The apparatus heretofore employed for this purpose has consisted, substantially, of a revolving fan or scries of bcaters operating in a single closed re cciving-chamber having an inner perforated wall surrounding such fan or heaters, and inlet and outlet openings, through which the dust-laden air is conducted to the boaters, and the purified air is permitted to escape there 3 5 from, and an auxiliary suctiolrfan to draw the dust-laden air through the separator.

The object of our improvements upon the mechanism just outlined is to effect a much more thorough and complete separation of the dust from the air; and to that end they consist, substantially, of a series of two or more revolving fans or sets of boaters, each inclosed in a separate receiving chamber, through which series of receivingchambers the dust- 5 laden air is successively conducted, the dustladen air from the first of such chambers being drawn therefrom at or near the axis of the revolving fan or beater, and by suitable means conducted to the periphery of the next I l l succeeding fan or set of beaters, and so on V through the series, by means of which opera tion a graduated and finally complete separation of the dust from the air is effected, the amount of dust separated diminishing rapidly from the first receiving-ehambcr to the next, and being entirely and completely removed in the last receivingchamber, leaving absolutely nothing but air to pass into the charm ber inclosing the suction-fan.

Our invention further consists in certain details of construction which will be more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional plan of the apparatus, taken longitudinally. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the same, taken longitudinally. Fig. 3 is an end elevation. Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section taken in the line r, Fig. 1; and Fig. 5 is a similar section taken in the line 3 7 Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, a is the casing which incloses the apparatus. Within this casing are the receiving-chambers b I), preferably two in number-the intermediate passage, 0, between the receiving-chambers, and the passage (I, which first receives the dust-laden air as it is introduced into the apparatus from the conduit (1. jassing cent-rally through these chambers is the horizontal shaft 6, resting in bearings c c, and e is the driving-pulley thereon. Upon this shaft, and within the receiving-chambers b l), are the fans or boaters f f, whose outer edges are in close proximity to the cylindrical walls If of such chambers. These cylindrical walls are provided with series of slots If throughout their entire surface, for the passage therethrough of the dust, as will be more fully hereinafter explained.

Surrounding the receiring-chambers b and b are the separate dust-collecting chambers g. The outer walls, 9, of these chambers, above the shaft 6. are concentric with the perforated walls I) of the rcceivingchambers, and below such shaft they converge in the form of a hopper to a common conveyer-trough, 71., within which is revolved the spiral conveyer h by means of the belt it, which passes from a pulley on the conveyer to the pulley it upon the shaft 0.

70 is a suction-fan secured to the shaft 0, and revolving within the casing 70 adjacent to the receiving-chamber b, and 7c is its dischargetube.

Z is an opening in the casing 61, extending into the fan-easing 70. It is preferably located so as to be concentric with the shaft e, and is provided with adjustable slides or gates Z Z.

The chambers b I) and passages and (1 communicate with each other in the following manner The partition m, which separates the passage (1 from the first receiving-chamber, b, is provided with the annular opening m, located near the wall I) of the chamber, and is designed to conduct the dust-laden air from the passage d to the periphery of the fan f.

The next partition at between the chamber 1) and intermediate passage, 0, has a central circular opening surrounding the shaft c. This partition n is carried down to the conveyertrough 71 and serves as the dividing-wall between the chambers g and g. The next partition, 0, (between the passage 0 and chamber b,) with its annular opening 0, is similar to the first partition, m, and the remaining partition, 12, between the chamber 1) and the fancasing is provided with the central circular opening 1). This partition 19 is carried down to the bottom of the casing a, and forms the outer wall of the chamber All of the partitions just described extend to the upper eylindrical wall, 9 of the dustcollecting chambers.

The dustladen air to be operated upon is taken up by the conduit (1 at the i'niddlingspurifier or other machine, and conducted into the passage at through the central orifice, (P; from thence it passes throughannular opening an to the periphery of the first fan, f, by means of which it is rapidly revolved within the chamber I), the centrifugal action of the fan f causing the dust to be projected against the perforated wall I), through which the main body of the dust passes. When in the surrounding chamber 9, it falls and is collected in the trough h. The air and what dust remains with it pass from the chamber 1) through central opening n into the intermediate passage, 12, from whence it is conducted by means of annular opening 0 into the next chamber, 1), where the centrifugal separation again takesplace, and the remaining dust is thoroughly separated from the ai 1', which passes I trapped valve (not herein shown) which willallow the dust to be removed without liberat ing the air within the chamber, as it is essential to the perfect working of the apparatus that there shall be no openings in the dustcollecting chambers.

class, for by reason of clogging more or less of the light dust-particles will fail to penetrate the perforated wall of the separating-chamber, and will be carried out with the air;

hence it is necessary that a graduated separation should take place, which we have found is thoroughly and effectively accomplished by providing a series of separatingchambers having intermediate passages for conducting the dust-laden air from apoint near the axis of the first separatingchamber to the periphery of the fan or heaters in the next succeeding separatingehamber, and so on; and as in this graduated process the amount of dust to be separated decreases rapidly from the first to the second separatingehamber, the centrifugal separating action, which in the first chamber is invariably retarded by the clogging of the dust at the perforations, is free and complete in the second chamber. 7

We have herein shown our apparatus as provided with two separatin gchambers, which we have found in practice to be quite sufficient for the work required; but one or more additional chambers could be employed where a heavier mixture of dust and air is to be separated. 4

Another important improvement in our apparatus is the adjustable opening in the suction-fan casing, for with it the force of the suctionblast through the separator can be quickly and accurately tempered to the quality of the mixture of dust and air being operated upon, as by adjusting the opening by means of the sliding gates a counter-blast of more or less force can be admitted to the suction-fan casing, which will correspondingly reduce the force of suction through the separator.

Ve claim 1. I11 a machine for separating dust from air by centrifugal force, the combination of a series of two or more separate fans or sets of beaters, separate perforated receiving-chambers provided with intermediate passages, through which the dust-laden air is conducted from the first receiving-chamber at or near the axis of its revolving fan or beater, and passed to the periphery of the next succeeding fan or beater, and separate collectingchambers, by means of which a graduated separation of the dust from the air is effected, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a machine for separating dust from air by centrifugal force, the combination of a series of two or more separate fans or sets of boaters, separate perforated receiving-chambers provided with intermediate passages, through which the dust-laden air is conducted from the first receiving-chamber at or near the axis of its revolving fan or beater, and passed to the periphery of the next succeeding fan or heater, by means of which a graduated separation of the dust from the air is effected, a separate collecting-chamber surrounding each receiving-chamber, a conveyertrough, and a conveyor, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a machine for separating dust from air by centrifugal force, the combination of a series of two or more separate fans or sets of heaters, separate perforated receiving-chambers provided with intermediate passages, through which the dust-laden air is conducted from the first receiving-chamber at or near the aXis of its revolving fan or heater, and passed to the periphery of the next succeeding fan or heater, separate collecting-chamhers, and a suction-fan casing provided with an adjustable opening for the admission of a counter-blast, substantially as shown, and for the purpose stated.

4. In a machine for separating dust from air by centrifugal force, the combination of a series of two or more separate fans or sets of heaters, separate perforated receiving-chain bers provided with intermediate passages,

through which the dust-laden air is conducted GEORGE E. WATSON. GEORGE T. CHESTER.

YVitnesses:

W. T. MILLER, OTTO HoDDroK. 

